24 Hours at Abi d'Oru Hotel, Porto Rotondo
For the last night on the island of Sardinia, we decided to pay a visit to Porto Rotondo. Known as the second Porto Cervo, this town should also have a little of the glamour and dazzle of the 1970s and 1980s, when the Costa Smeralda was first built and became one of Europe’s most exclusive playgrounds. As the perfect place to rest our heads, we chose the Abi d’Oru Hotel, mainly because the property had been completely renovated at the beginning of 2026. Just like many Sardinian hotels, Abi d’Oru realized that it was time to invest in the hardware and update its rooms and suites to match the more discerning preferences of today’s luxury traveler. It was therefore particularly interesting to see what had changed.
Once we arrived at the main entrance, our names were checked by the gate agent and only after confirmation from the front desk were we granted access to the hotel. Security is therefore taken seriously here rather than these checks being merely cosmetic. Upon reaching the main entrance, we were warmly greeted by two bellmen and a lady from the front desk. Everything seemed seamless as they took care of our luggage and whisked us over to the check-in desk. A friendly receptionist checked us in together with a new colleague who appeared to be in training. We were informed that our room was already ready at noon and were happily offered a welcome drink on the terrace. There was a list of drinks to choose from and the selection was extensive. Our two Sardinian beers came with an array of snacks, allowing us to enjoy the stunning views from the very first moment.
Once we had finished our drinks, we returned to the front desk, only to find that all employees were busy and we were asked to wait. Instead, we decided to find our room ourselves. It appeared easier than it actually was, but eventually we succeeded. It was probably the first time in years that nobody showed me to my hotel room. However, it was absolutely fine in this case, as our plan was to quickly change and get to the beach to make the most of the facilities. Once we opened the door, we were greeted by a fresh smell and lots of daylight pouring through the panoramic sliding doors. We had been allocated a Deluxe Room facing the sea, a pleasant upgrade from the booked Classic Room, which is usually facing the tennis courts.
There are essentially three different views to pay attention to when staying at Abi d’Oru. First, there is the Sea View, which is breathtaking here, overlooking the turquoise bay and the hotel’s pool. Garden View rooms also face towards the seaside, although they only overlook the greenery and trees as they are located on the ground or first floor. Only a handful of Classic Rooms overlook the back of the property, facing the parking area and tennis courts. Most of the rooms and suites at Abi d’Oru have been refurbished by spring 2026, so the chances of getting a fresh room are quite high. I would definitely ask for a renovated room before arrival, as I loved the light and bright look, the pale stone floors and the travertine bathrooms. Our room followed a fairly classic hotel layout, with the wardrobe on the left side of the entrance hall and the bathroom on the right.
Even though the bathroom was quite small, it had excellent lighting, a walk-in shower, toilet and bidet as well as a single sink, all finished in elegant travertine stone. There was also plenty of space to store toiletries and vanity bags. Bath towels were plentiful and of good quality, while I absolutely loved the Carthusia Corallium toiletries. Not only did they smell wonderful, they also fitted the overall atmosphere of the property perfectly.
Apart from the bathroom, I loved the extremely comfortable king-size bed and the view across the magnificent Gulf of Marinella. While the room itself was not particularly spacious, there was a working desk, two armchairs and tea and coffee-making facilities. On the downside, the minibar selection looked as though it was complimentary, mainly because there were no alcoholic drinks, but it was not. By international luxury standards, I therefore found the offering rather weak. Speaking of which, there was no welcome letter, welcome gift or fruit platter either, which was another first for me at an Italian five-star hotel. Generally, the room itself lacked a little personality and some of the finer attention to detail that I normally expect at this level.
On the plus side, the private terrace was spacious and came with a sofa and a large armchair. This was the perfect place to enjoy a drink after the beach or a glass of wine outdoors after dinner. One negative point, however, was that after making one call and waiting 30 minutes in the room, our luggage still had not been delivered. My friend Sebastian eventually called a second time, by which point he was understandably a little more stressed, and only then did our suitcases arrive another five minutes later. It felt as though the front desk was not particularly strong when it came to coordinating different touchpoints and, throughout our stay, there were several moments where the team seemed slightly lost.
The following day, after we had left the room and settled the bill at noon, we were offered a courtesy room where we could refresh and take a shower before our afternoon flight. Once we actually wanted to use it, however, we were told that both rooms had already been booked for the afternoon. The friendly front desk attendant who had checked us in and originally offered the courtesy room then sent another trainee colleague to show us around, although she did not seem to know much about the setup either. We also asked for our suitcases to be brought to the room and, once again, this was not managed properly. In the end, we did take a shower in the courtesy room, but had to put our beach clothes back on afterwards because our luggage had already been loaded into the car by the bellmen and could not be brought back to us. So there is definitely some work to do when it comes to logistics, communication and front desk touchpoints.
All other staff members, however, were extremely kind and friendly. As a special perk of Abi d’Oru, guests have complimentary sunbeds at the hotel’s private sandy beach. We are talking about wonderfully white and fine sand, and this is definitely one of the most beautiful hotel beaches I have seen in Sardinia. The water was exceptionally clean with a beautiful turquoise tone, while service was also very attentive. Guests can order drinks and food directly from their sunbeds via a bell.
While I understand that glasses are generally not allowed on beaches, five-star hotels should perhaps make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Even if a glass were to fall, the sand here is so soft that the risk seems relatively low. Especially when paying €13 for a 0.5-liter beer, I would at least expect it to arrive properly chilled in a glass bottle. Instead, the beer was poured into a warm plastic cup and therefore became warm after only a few minutes. On the positive side, the beach team kept bringing buckets of ice in which we could place the plastic cup, so they were clearly doing everything possible within the rules to keep our drinks cold.
Overall, the prices for extras felt extremely high. During our Sardinian trip, we also stayed a little further north at Porto Cervo’s two most iconic hotels. Prices there are certainly high as well, but they come with the right atmosphere, history and elegance. At Abi d’Oru, however, I sometimes felt that they were charging the same high prices without always going the extra mile. This simply is not yet an iconic property in the same league as Cala di Volpe or Pitrizza. For example, the live music at the bar during sunset was not really something we enjoyed. The musician was certainly talented and even played the piano, but the atmosphere remained rather empty, with only us and another table occupying the bar. The cocktails, however, were good and we even stayed for another round despite the deserted atmosphere and high prices. After all, the view was magnificent and who am I to miss one hell of a sunset on my last evening in Sardinia?
Because of the pricing and service level, we decided to skip dinner at the hotel and instead drive into Porto Rotondo, which turned out to be a more relaxed and charming version of Porto Cervo. Valet parking at Abi d’Oru, meanwhile, worked wonderfully. Our car was always brought around quickly and taken care of whenever we needed it.
After a heavenly night’s sleep, we walked to the main restaurant for breakfast. At first glance, it looked like a massive and potentially stressful buffet situation. However, once we took a seat at an outdoor table, we were convinced of the opposite. An excellent cappuccino was brought together with freshly squeezed orange juice before we ordered fresh scrambled eggs. The selection of cold cuts and cheeses was extensive and of high quality, while I was also impressed by the large variety of sweets and live cooking options.
Despite some reviews online mentioning that hot dishes cost extra or that guests were limited in their choices, I cannot confirm this based on our experience. Our server asked whether we wanted anything else in addition to the egg order and there was no separate menu, so I am fairly certain we could have ordered additional dishes if we had wanted to. Overall, I found the breakfast excellent and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food.
Once we finished breakfast, we explored the grounds a little more and also visited the hotel’s pool. Set within the gardens, the pool at Abi d’Oru has also recently been renovated and everything looked fresh, clean and well maintained. There was some background music playing and the majority of guests appeared to be families with older children. Other facilities include a gym on the ground floor and a spa, which is available for treatments or when booking the private spa suite.
I would nevertheless say that the real highlight of Abi d’Oru is its magnificent beach and direct access to the sea. Thanks to the shallow water, the resort is particularly popular with families with children of all ages. Your little ones can jump into the water without too much concern, as the depth reaches only around 1.2 meters even when swimming out quite far. For families, this is a significant advantage and one of the reasons why Abi d’Oru feels more family-oriented than some of the luxury resorts further north.
In case your little ones get hungry, there is an outpost of Trattoria del Pescatore, a Milanese institution. Belonging to the hotel, it offers lunch and snacks directly by the beach, with everything conveniently chargeable to the room. On our departure day, I went for a Club Sandwich, which was surprisingly tasty, and loved sitting inside the glass pavilion while enjoying one final view of the blue Sardinian sea before heading to the airport.
Beach service was very friendly throughout our stay, although it is worth knowing that only guests staying in suites receive sunbeds in the first two rows. As guests in a Deluxe Room, we were allocated beach chairs in the sixth row on both days. If being right at the front is important to you, I would contact the hotel well in advance and ask them to reserve the preferred position. For us, it did not really matter, as we like to see something of the surroundings when spending time at the beach, and the friendly beach team made up for the distance from the water. They also provided as many towels as we needed and happily changed them whenever necessary. This kind of relaxed and attentive beach service is exactly what you want from a Sardinian seaside resort.
Concluding our experience at Abi d’Oru, it was a wonderful way to spend our final two days in Sardinia and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this five-star luxury hotel. Was it worth €1,000 per night? Considering that we could make use of almost two full days thanks to the early check-in and late check-out, while also having two full days of access to the beach club, I have to say yes.
For a longer stay, however, my answer would be slightly different. I felt that this hotel is clearly more family-focused and that the front desk team still lacks some coordination, communication and clarity. If you are paying more than €1,000 per night for two people, I would expect these low points to be addressed. The hotel should also add a proper welcome note, provide more complimentary water and consider some form of welcome gift or local amenity. There was not even a beach bag in our room, which felt like a missed opportunity for a resort of this positioning.
If you are travelling as a family and the rate is right, however, there is little reason not to consider Abi d’Oru. The location, beach and shallow turquoise water make it an excellent choice for families, while the renovated rooms and pool have brought the property firmly into the new generation of Sardinian luxury hotels. For me personally, the sweet spot would definitely be the low season, when rates become considerably more attractive and the property is less busy. That is when I would most definitely return to Abi d’Oru: for the magnificent beach, the beautiful views across the Gulf of Marinella, the relaxed Sardinian atmosphere and the chance to enjoy a recently renovated five-star resort without paying the absolute peak-season prices of Costa Smeralda’s most established icons. Abi d’Oru may not yet have the legendary status of Cala di Volpe or Pitrizza, but with the renovation now completed, it certainly has the potential to become one of the more interesting luxury resorts in the area.
